READING's top brass have rubber-stamped the new residents parking permit restrictions amid Tory accusations that only one or two of them will be affected.

The overhaul for parking permits, with a limit of two cars per house with the second vehicle's pass costing £50, is now set to start in the spring of 2003.

It is estimated it will bring in up to £145,000 a year. Last night Reading Borough Council's ruling cabinet agreed to freeze the £50 for three years.

But the Tories revealed nine out of the 10 of the cabinet either have a drive or a locked garage or don't live in a parking permit zone.

Conservative councillor Richard Willis, the party's transport spokesman, attacked the group of 10 councillors after conducting a tour of where they lived.

He said: "In terms of the Labour cabinet, only two out of the 10 would be affected. And one of those has recently moved [in]."

That is first-term Councillor Viki Lloyd, who lives in a two-bedroom terraced house without

off-street parking off Oxford Road.

The other councillor who lives in a parking zone, Cllr Tony Page, has a driveway outside his Castle Hill home.

The remaining eight live outside parking zones, mainly in Reading's suburbs, where they have driveways and/or garages.

Only Councillor Jon Hartley has no off-street parking at his home in Newtown.

The Labour councillors did not reply last night to Cllr Willis's point.

He added the £50 charge was too high and compared it with Luton, where it is £17 a car, and Slough - £10 a car.

"Nobody will argue that the current scheme is ideal but the scheme that has been proposed has many flaws that are going to make it worse," he said.

Councillor John Howarth, Reading's head of transport, said the current unlimited scheme of 9,500 permits caused "significant discontent" and Reading's roads had long run out of enough spaces.

The new limit and a review of yellow lines and abolition of many two-hour free zones around the town would free up around 1,500 spaces, he said.

Cllr Howarth added: "That said, it's impossible to be fair to absolutely everyone who lives and owns a car in these areas."

The cabinet also agreed in principle with

recommendations from the council's environment scrutiny panel, including freezing charges for three years, reviewing visitors' parking and cutting the permit charge to £10 for use of environmentally friendly fuels.